As a positive force for all things good in 417-land, Logan Aguirre has been making headlines in her career. Logan Aguirre is a graduate of Signature Class 31, chairman-elect of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and as of September, Publisher of Whitaker Publishing. Logan leads with positivity and dedicates herself fully to her work and others. As she transitions into this new position with Whitaker Publishing, Logan feels proud to carry on leading the company her parents built and is excited to continue doing what she loves in a community she adores. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she says, “it just makes sense.”
Logan recalls the end of year closing retreat in Branson as her favorite memory from her time in Signature Class 31. After a year of getting to know her classmates, she appreciated that time to get away and celebrate these new lifelong friends. Looking back on how the class experience shaped her, both personally and professionally, Logan is grateful for the confidence she gained when it comes to connecting with others and says, “It gave me a whole new appreciation for the kinds of leaders we have here and makes me want to be that kind of leader.” A large takeaway Logan has carried with her from the experience are the five strengths she identified through the StrengthsFinder assessment. Logan says they continue to influence how she makes decisions and leads, and she is grateful for the framework Leadership Springfield gave her.
After 13 years with 417 Magazine, doing just about every job imaginable and working her way up, Logan bought Whitaker Publishing from her parents, fulfilling a long-time dream. Logan was most recently President & Associate Publisher for the company that produces 417 Magazine, Biz417, 417 Home, and 417 Bride. In recent years, she began “looking up and out at the business” and one thing she takes pride in is launching the Great Game of Business. The Game has helped her and the team by breaking down all aspects of the business to ensure their success and has proven especially helpful this year. The Game provided them with an emergency plan to aid in navigating this pandemic. From moving to remote work to canceled events to webinars on paycheck protection and mental health, Logan is extremely proud of how the team at 417 has pivoted due to COVID-19. Moving forward, she is eager for the publications to continue to provide people with a much-needed break from whatever might be overwhelming them and remind their audience “why where we live is so amazing.” Logan has gone from falling in love with Springfield to finding her passion with 417 and figuring out how to lead others well. In her new role, she is ready to continue to share with others the story of what makes the 417 so wonderful.
Through both her job and her position on the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce board, Logan is extremely plugged into the community. She is currently chairman-elect for the chamber and will be chairman starting in January 2021. She sees the chamber as a tremendous asset and appreciates the many people she has met through it. Being connected to the community is important to Logan, not only because she enjoys it but also because she knows how valuable it is for community members to see how businesses care for them too. Logan recognizes that by supporting local businesses in the 417 publications and letting people know what’s going on in the area, the community grows stronger, especially in this challenging season.
In her free time, Logan and her family love going to the lake. Being so close to the lake is largely what drew them to finally make the move to Springfield from St. Louis. Along with the lake, her family loves the trails in Springfield, and her kids are involved with the Springfield Little Theater and the YMCA.
Logan offers these words of wisdom for up and coming leaders in Springfield, “If you see someone that you admire or want to get to know better, I think it’s always okay to reach out. If you’re a young professional and you see someone that you just want to learn more about their story, ask them to mentor you. Don’t be afraid to reach out because I think most people really enjoy being able to give back in that way.” Additionally, Logan recognizes the many opportunities in Springfield, especially for young people, and says, “It’s amazing how much of an impact you can make that you wouldn’t be able to if you were under 40 in another city.”
